Setting Up Shop: Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube Rolling Out New Ecommerce Features

Major social media platforms Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube have made it easier than ever to track down those must-have items and unique finds this holiday season. With new e-commerce shopping features, you’ll be able to check everything off your family’s wish list without ever leaving the apps—plus, these changes could also help you give your business a new edge in the social media scene.

Instagram

Instagram Ads

No more searching the Internet for that new piece of tech or cool pair of shoes you saw on the Explore page—Instagram is now giving users the ability to purchase items that are featured by businesses or promoted by influencers. Users will now be able to purchase items directly from stories by tapping on tagged items to reveal more details and a link to purchase the item. Plus, the Explore Channel will include personalized shopping posts from brands you follow and brands Instagram thinks you may like. In a statement, Instagram explained that one-third of most-viewed stories come from businesses, and these changes aim to make the most of that user traffic, allowing brands to tell an even deeper story about their products. If you are an e-commerce business, shopping on Instagram is available for your online store, as long as you also push your inventory to Facebook (you can choose whether you want this inventory to be visible to your Facebook audience). Now, more than 90 million Instagram accounts tap to reveal tags in shopping posts every month, and you can do the same. Find fresh inspiration, keep up with brands you already like, and discover new items, all within the app.

YouTube Ads

YouTube

platform to more expansive advertising by small businesses and brands. Users can now click on products they see within a video and learn more about the product without ever leaving YouTube. This update is opening doors for an easier shoppable experience on the platform, as users will no longer have to leave the video to view products that catch their eye. In the past, it was only possible to add product links in the description area beneath a video, as opposed to embedding the link within the video itself. Now, all it takes is one click on a link within the video labeled “Everything in the video is available for purchase here,” and you’ll be taken to an influencer’s ShopStyle page. There, you will be able to shop the products featured in the video. These updates bring good news for small businesses as well—unlike in the past where small businesses and brands were only able to take advantage of similar ads by adding them to their own YouTube videos, small businesses will now be able to advertise their products on any video that allows them. Additionally, you will only pay when a viewer clicks on your ad. Overall, these changes are allowing small business to expand the reach of their ad, as well as create more engagement as users will see products in action within video content and be able to quickly interact with those products without leaving the video.

Snapchat

Although this app is still the go-to for fun photo filters, Snapchat is also introducing three new shopping features as a part of their journey towards becoming an e-commerce one-stop-shop. First, shoppable Snap ads have become available to every advertiser. Advertisers can also upload product catalogs to Snapchat, allowing users to shop through inventory without ever leaving the app. Snapchat is also expanding their pixel tracking features, allowing for more specific metrics that closely target Snapchatters who visit an advertiser’s site. More detailed information can now be collected on what types of pages users are visiting, as opposed to just knowing that they did visit the site. Snapchat’s partnership with Amazon is also leading them to test out visual search shopping, which will allow users to identify objects they see in real life and then buy them on Amazon. Although these features are generally used by e-commerce giants, small- to medium-sized businesses can still succeed on Snapchat by utilizing Snapchat ads to raise awareness, increase consideration, and drive action towards their business. Showing behind-the-scenes snippets of your business’s operation also allows users to become more invested in all your business has to offer.

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